Fashion for Men: a Guide for the Guy Stuck in Blue Jeans

If you are a woman, more than likely, you purchase the clothes that your man wears. This isn't unusual. I would hazard to say there is only 25% of the male population that would feel comfortable buying men's fashion.
Why would I make such a statement? Come on, have you seen the way men dress? It's a shame that most men are willing to be seen in a ripped t-shirt and worn jeans. For some this is their every day attire. I honestly don't think it is in a man's genes (pardon the pun) to become a fashion icon. Nevertheless, with a little help, they can learn.

The sad part of men's fashion is that there really is nowhere for a man to turn concerning today's fashion. It seems as if everything is directed toward women. Sure, you can see men's fashion in your local Sunday paper, but if you really want to discuss men's fashion, it's going to be rather hard to do.

For the most part, men appear to be on their own in the world of fashion. Sure, there are those high glitz fashion shows held every year during Fashion Week in New York; however, how many of those shows are geared toward men? Not very many. Why is that? Because most men hate shopping and more than shopping, they hate trying on clothes. Sure, there may be a few out there that do have a sense of fashion; however, as I stated before they are rare.

Although I do not profess to be some fashion maven, I do have a husband that I "dress." Yes, I said dress! It is almost like having a life-sized doll. I have the opportunity to go shopping and can pick out all of his clothes and I know he trusts me because he feels I have good taste. So, let me try to help you find your comfort level in shopping for men's fashion.

First, you don't have to be afraid of color. Color is good and it will help to brighten those baby blues, not to mention those gorgeous browns or dazzling hazels. Give yourself a chance and try adding some color to your wardrobe. Stay away from whites or beige - these are not only boring, but they will tend to wash you out or make you look pale and sickly. Add a little red, bright blue; even go for green or yellow. It doesn't have to be much. You will be amazed at how many of your friends notice that you have something different on. Opt for some of those great polo shirts with the collar. You can wear these almost anywhere. They are very versatile and definitely very comfortable. If you are an avid golfer, you will definitely want to have several polo shirts, as most golf courses do not allow shirts without collars. (Something to think about!)

The same goes for dress shirts. There are so many different colors available, don't stick with the white. You may even want to go radical and try an all black combination. The company where I worked was having a huge dinner dance at the local art museum and I bought my husband a black suit, black silk shirt, and black silk tie. Yes, he did balk at the idea of wearing all black, at first! However, upon our arrival, the president of the company went straight to my husband, introducing himself and talking as if they had known each other for years. He also mentioned how great my husband looked. My husband had a smile on his face the whole evening as more people came over to introduce themselves. He looked fantastic, felt fantastic, and loved the attention. Very impressive, if I must say so myself. (Oh, I might mention not one person complimented me on my outfit that night, but that was all right with me, because I was with the best-dressed man there.) Where did I get the idea to go all black? Well, the red carpet of course! Watch some of the awards show; see what your favorite actor is wearing. Is that something you would be comfortable in wearing? If so, try it!

If you have an 8 to 5 job and must wear a shirt and tie, swap it out a little bit. Choose a dark colored shirt and a lighter colored tie or vice versa. I would stick with dark pants, as they are more professional in the world of business. So, try the addition of a little color in your shirt or tie.

Let's talk casual pants. Twill or khaki pants are a good place to start. For one thing, almost every color in the spectrum will go with a pair of twill or khaki pants. These pants can also be paired with a nice jacket giving you a great look to take your girl out for dinner. Twill or khaki pants are also a lighter material than blue jeans, which is great if you are going to a baseball game on a hot summer day. Paired with a great polo shirt, you could go to the ballgame with friends, afterward hit your favorite restaurant, and still fit right in.

What should you wear if you have a job interview? Well, you definitely want to make an impression and a good one at that. Depending upon the type of job, tailor your dress to match the company or firm you are interviewing with. If you can, drive by during lunch and see what the men are wearing as they leave for lunch. If they are dressed in the usual, nice, dark suits, follow the same example. Add a little bit of color to give you some distinction or notability. You can wear your white shirt and a great striped tie, add a little color in your jacket pocket, put a blue handkerchief in your pocket or whatever color that would match your tie. Do not use this opportunity to try out purple, or chartreuse. Stay with a normal color. You want them to notice you, not the chartreuse handkerchief sticking out of your pocket.

Should your interview be at a local construction company, where you are interviewing as a construction worker, do not wear old, ripped up jeans. You still need to make a good impression. Wear a good, clean pair of jeans, a pair of work boots (that are in good condition) and a button down shirt, tucked in, of course. Wear a belt so your look is complete. No one will expect you to look like this on a daily basis, but you do want to impress your possible boss, so use your common sense. Now is not the time to show up with ripped jeans, stained t-shirt and dirty boots. You do want the job, don't you?

Whenever you get dressed, you should dress as if you need to impress everyone you meet. This will help you get out of those old bad habits of wearing tattered jeans and ratty t-shirts to your local grocery store. This will not impress anyone; in fact, people may even consider you a slob. Bad thought! Make sure, when you need to go out, even if it is to the store; try to look your best. If you take the time to look good, you will not only look good, you will feel good and people that you meet will feel good about you also.

How many times have we seen men running around with dirty jeans and t-shirts? Around my town, it is an everyday occurrence. When I see these men, I think to myself, either they are single, a slob or their wives do not care how they look. That's sad. I would never let my husband run around town dressed in some of the clothes that I see other men dressed in. I am not saying what I choose for my husband is perfect, but, I do choose things that look good on him and he knows that I am proud of him and the way he looks, otherwise, why would I go to the trouble.

One thing that is truly sad to see is the way some of the teenagers dress today, their pants down to their knees and carefully walking; all the while knowing if they take a wrong step their pants will fall down. That is not fashion, that is pure sloppiness. Sure, they may think it is fashionable, but I can guarantee that in ten years, when they see a picture of themselves dressed like that, they will wonder what they were thinking. Believe me, I know, I used to wear those huge elephant, bell-bottom pants that would wrap around your leg with every step. Oh well, we all have our little skeletons in our closet, so to speak.

I only hope that with some of my suggestions, you will be able to rid yourself of some of your own skeletons and be able to better prepare yourself for dressing in a fashion that will prove that you have a great taste.

On with our lesson. Let's say you have a first date coming up. What should you wear? Well, the first question is where are you going to take her? That will determine what you should wear. If you are going to take her out to dinner and to a movie, the best thing to wear is a pair of nice khakis and a polo shirt. You could even wear a nice pair of blue jeans, if you so desire. However, you must make sure that they are clean and there are no rips! Any type of shirt will go with jeans, from a nice sweatshirt to a nice colored t-shirt. (Again, with the color!) As I mentioned before, stay away from white! Once you are able to accept color in your wardrobe, you will not have any problems in finding new clothes.

Too many men get into a rut regarding their wardrobe and the clothes they wear on an everyday basis. Some may feel that they don't have to impress anyone and don't care how they look, but that is not the attitude to have. You never know whom you might run into and you should always try to look your best. That is one of my number one rules and I am sure that is a rule with most women out there. I know if I ever went to the grocery store without my make-up on, I would run into ten people that I knew, and who would more than likely make some kind of comment. Do I want to put myself in this position? No way! Why would you, just because you are a man?
I honestly feel that men to not give themselves enough credit. They watch television and go to the movies. They see how other men dress. They may not talk about it like women do, but subconsciously, they do see the different trends in men's fashions and a little note is filed back in their subconscious as to whether they like that look or not. They have to notice what they see, they are always commenting on the fashions of women. What is the difference?

Men know what they like and don't like. It just takes a little time and effort to bring them into the world of fashion. Sometimes we, as women, have to drag them kicking and screaming, but eventually, we can get them to come around. If you really want to help your man make a fashion statement, the first thing to do is NOT tell him. He will be more apt to fight you on this. If you are out and about with your man and you see a great looking shirt, bring it to his attention. He may not like that one, but, don't stop. Show him another one. Tell him how great it would look on him, how the muscles in his arms would look bigger. This is one of the ways to get him to try something different. Play on his ego.

If you are a woman and have a man that needs to be introduced to today's fashion, make sure that you go through the advertisements in your Sunday paper. Look at the different fashions that are for sale for men. Would something like that look good on your man? More than likely, it would. Show him the ad; ask him which of the fashions he likes.

You could even start smaller. What is his favorite color? The next time you are out shopping, buy him a package of colored t-shirts, or buy him a polo shirt. Start buying him clothes for his birthday. Eventually, you will be able to add a little more to his wardrobe.

One thing that I do every year with my husband is go through all his clothes. I take all the clothes that are out of date or that I really do not like and give them to a local agency so they will get some use from other people. Once this is done, I suggest that we go out and get him some replacements. If you can get your man to go with you on a shopping outing, this is half the battle. Make your suggestions and get him to choose some things that he likes. If you both choose different fashions, you will see what type of clothing he really likes and you will be able to find other items that will suit him.

As with anything, men's fashions are nothing like women's in the sense that they do not change. Men wear pants and shirts. Sometimes shorts. There is such variety in women's fashion that sometimes it is hard to find something original that you might like. All I can say is shop around. Look at some of the websites on the internet. You may find something that you would like to add to your wardrobe.

If you are a man looking to add some fashion to your life, you can try a copy of GQ, but you will find that type of clothing is very expensive and not conducive to the normal working man. There are many men's stores that would be more than willing to help you in bringing fashion into your wardrobe. That is their business and they deal with men on a daily basis that are not sure what they should wear or if this is right or not for that event. If you are really in doubt about your fashion sense, go to a professional and see what different options that they give you. They will also be able to help you develop your own sense of style with the many different types of clothing in their locale.

Do not give up. There is something out there that will give you the appearance that you want. Moreover, you should not fight your wife or girlfriend in trying to help you with your fashion sense. She is only trying to help you look as great as you can.

All it takes is a little courage and a good mirror to find out what looks best on you. Now, let's get out of those old blue jeans and try something on!